Simple card with visual appeal

I've just returned from the Scrapbook Expo this past weekend at Valley Forge, Pa. It was fun and I overspent like usual. Any how, I wanted to show you one of my favorite but simple cards that I made. This card was made using a rose stamp from the  RubberStampCafe store. I really like the ladies at this booth and their greeting cards are always just so lovely.

The cool part is that this greeting card really fits into the blog hop challenge at Crafting by Design.

Anyhow, I made this card using a Spellbinders Nestables die to create the card base.

1. The greeting card, made out of white cardstock, measures at 5 3/4" squared and folded. You should leave one side outside of the die template to ensure the card opens.
2. Next fold back the front of the card.
3. Now stamp the wood grain image onto the card in black ink.
4. Also cut out using the same Nestables die but in a smaller size, 3.5", out of black cardstock. You will need two pieces. 
5. Next stamp your images using black Archival ink and color using alcohol markers.
6. Their stamp set has roses in different sizes so I layered them using foam squares.
7. Also added a stamped sentiment and rose inside the card.

I hope you enjoyed this card. It was fun to create and I might have to recreate using Close to My Heart stamps.

Crafting by Design Blog Hop

I've just became a member of Crafting by Design. This group of women are so creative it's awe and inspiring. I've just completed a blog hop this weekend and it's fabolous! The theme of the blog hop was blooms & wings. So inspired by the theme I had a go at it. This is what I created.

 This was created using 95 % of Close to My Heart Products.

The card base, the patterned paper, ribbon, flowers, photo mat and coloring are all Close to My Heart products.

First I stamped in Dessert Sand ink the humming bird, followed by the florals. I then watercolored the images using Close to My Heart water color pencils. I matted this picture onto an Elemental paper and then onto cardstock.

This greeting card measures 5"x 4" folded
The elemental patterned paper measures 4" x 4.75".

Center mat  with image measures at 3.75" x 4.5"

Feel free to duplicate this design with one exception. Please accredit the design to Francis Ames.

Products Used:

    * C1464- Unscripted Clear Stamp

    * C1397 - Smiles (Florals and Sentiments)

    * Elemental paper packet

    * Colonial White Ribbon

    * Dessert Sand Ink

    * Close to My Heart Water Colors

    * Inkadinkado Clear Stamp (99120) Patterned Birds and Bugs.